You're reading: Nationalist presidential candidate in Ukraine calls for downgrading Crimea status

The status of Crimea should be changed from autonomy to region while the special status of the city of Sevastopol must be cancelled, Oleh Tiahnybok, leader of the all-Ukrainian Freedom association and presidential candidate believes.

"The Russian Federation is constantly violating the constitution and laws of Ukraine. Moscow is trying to prolong the stay of its Black Sea Fleet on the peninsula belonging to Ukraine in every way and it is using Crimea as a factor of destabilizing Ukraine. To neutralize Moscow’s hostile plans the status of Crimea should be changed from autonomy to region and the special status of Sevastopol cancelled," the politician’s press service quoted him as saying at his Wednesday meeting with voters in Sevastopol.

Tiahnybok also expressed confidence that the National Security and Defense Council must work out a unilateral action plan, if Russia fails to stand by its obligation to withdraw its fleet from Ukrainian territory by 2017. "Ukrainian checkpoints should be set up at all facilities that Russia has rented until 2017 and close control established over the movements of foreign servicemen in Ukrainian territory," he said.